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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — letters
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — a container
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — magic
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. craft — boats
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — a short time
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com